Hydrometer



March 2, 1943. R. w; BLANCHARD HYDROMETER Filed Nov. 1e, 193s `2 Sheets-Sheet l 'BMA/Wham wimifdf I Mirail March 2, 1943. R. w. :en wuzl-lARD4 HYDROMETER Filed Nov. 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 )www uff/23%@ Patented Mar. 2, 1943 deviee,. this character..fintended ,and adapted for us in-l determiningllf'the specific gravity of a liqu-i ,voriother characteristics based upon, the e@ specificjgravity, by testing a? relatively` lsmall or limited.ctestcquantityof theliquid-w Ar1,-objeo.tr ofmyi invention is ,toprovide e reed; seieeoriel'vieiv :mthfthef erts 11a-the, reletion-foeeupied Whedihe inst mnehtfislolit; ofwuse..

e Y is-. a transversesectionalviewnsubstantially Aony line 4 7-4 of Fig. 2. 5 A ,l y

-Fi v- 5 is-fa. fragmentary verticaldetail sec hydrozneter instrumentthatcan be operated and tion1 A v vv, substantiallyorlfline` 5-,`5 of Fig. 2. used V-inV substantially the usual...manner,land o fH aenviewlin-,sidemelevation illustrating with-Which thetest quantity of -liquid is tested anothei mbodimentof the invention. I

ate. a predetermined 1e ve1,; ,thus permitting em ploymentof testrindicating means lthat will show aecurately; rather minutel `variations- ;inf spec'ic gravity, and'wilhperrnitdisplay;l of suchlind-ications in blown up or enlarged showing. f lp,

1-'Another purpose is .to so constructllthe parts that thewariousgportions of the instrument can be made of;meta1 or of diefcast ru-bbenbrvv of la syntheticresin vor phenolic condensation prod- L uct, or :off other suitable-plastic or moldedI material not readily laiected/fby. the liquid .orasolution being tested-,. and` not 'readily..vand-, easily frangibleor breakable as with-,.glass-. partslnow ordinarilyvused. .14; StilLanother object is; to provide an instrumen-t of this characterlthat can vibe.- setflor adjusted. Ato v thusv .aiord u extreme;V accuracy.; .i and withv which provision may :b'e made.; to;:ccmpen sate..forevariationsviny the temperature'-ointhe if@ liquid o rsolution v beingftestecti 5 'f lYetanother object is toso construct the-parts thatthe,l readings .or indications vareshovvn bya hand or arrowv or. pointer moving: adjacenttofa dial, and'with which'itiis,not;necessarylltorfuse 3,5 aA float element :having a gauge,fstem-:,--as; now commonlyv .employed inA hydrometerinstruments. Stilli a lfurther object ris togprovidefan :instrument of :this character in'which the lreadings are taken; at "a,predetermined lguid-leileh together with means Y for .drawing Aliquid into.;r the; instru.- menti to the predetermined flevellV and means ,to stopor ,eut olftheintakeL of liquid Wher1 his desired predetermined levelhae skieen;i attained-- 1, l With the above and other objects in ,v w some of Which will be apparent to those sk ed insthe. art,r and othersof` yvhicharesinh ent in thearrangement. andfuse of theparts, ny'finvention .includes v.certain .novel` featur st guncn 'and' association" off. den; be-her-eindterf1-eet l L dr wines andi-hen polited '0u ft Y Y dotiert-ingeleid ntheindioa-tngeel-e s, v a verticaL sectional viewthrough the y A with the part/sin inoperative relation. g.. l 8is.a.view similarr to.Y Fig.; 1 disclosing .the

indicating*y onl testing position. l y

9visa vertical sectional View substantially on linerAS--B of1'ig. 7.

I,fragmentaryl sec' "onal vievvsshow'- another modifedconstruction.,.. i Asui ustrated in F'igs, 1 through 4, the body or oontainer-portiontof .theinstrument is made in;two;vertekend-:2, which. Canio@ vforlstldwted depressed .or .east limetel, or ,die @est rubber or Syltlli esinA orphenolic condensation l`product,fl k or of,others,11itable, andY appropriate materilal.`v- As,.i llustrate.d theelpart I servesas 4,a houding and Athe @part v2 as a liquid andy float c onteiirieleA ,i l -A .A .l v- ;f 'Ijhe body portion .is. preferablypmade .in two parts-,so thd-theparts. cambe more readily, as- Sembled,-theren, end thelbodypplortion vhas an intake sleeve `gaririilolole 3'inthe lower` part thereof and a suction nipple `or sleeve 4 in its upper part. Anjintake nozzletcan be connected at the intake sleeve 3; for lconvenient,insertion in the `opening of. a vbatte-:ry.,oniathe neck of d radiator, or in factlin; anyr noriilee .or fooritainer with ltheA liquid o,r.,solution to betested. suction 1 bulb 6 is conneetedsat Rthemsuction sleeveroi1 `nipple 4 and this bulb can v.be employed to exhaustr air from thetestine-Johamber,11.*,Withir1 the body portion 2 so;tha ttl1 ede sire d` test quantity of liquidwor solution ill be drawn in: Athrough the lintake rlozzle-ts` l l, .d Y Y n f I The .upperl portion o f the bodyhas a viewing opening 8therethr0ugh and an indicating scale Slis displayed-mithin thisfopenne 8, a.- glass. or

transparent cover* portionv `I0 beingl preferably provided .toeclosefthe opening 8 .and yet permit -ieweomtheXindircatingsale,9., An indicanine .pointer l levisvfswingefbly mounted within thehodyinortion,th-rough ihemedium 0f d Shaft th' ind'oatlng pointer is thus, mounted nt around `and adjacent fto "Aslhere thiSlshaft I2 has a curved arm I3 extending therefrom and provided at its end with a weight I4, and the arm and weight thus serve to exert a yielding pull at all times tending to move the indicator or pointer II to the minimum or low indicating position.

A iioat portion I5 is swingably mounted within the body portion 2 upon a shaft I 6, and an arm I'I extends from the shaft I6 substantially radially to serve after the manner of a bell crank lever. A shaft I8 journalled substantially parallel with shafts I6 and I2 has thereon an arm I9 and a connecting rod 20 is swingably connected at its ends to the outer ends of arms I9 and I1 so that swinging movement of the float I5 willcause the shaft I8 to be given a partial rotation. A gear wheel 2| fixed on the shaft I8 meshes with pinion 22 fixed on shaft I2, and thus as the float I5 moves to swing arm I'I pull is exertedi through connecting rod upon arm I9 and thus shaft I8 is given a partial rotation. This movement of shaft I3 causes the gear 2I to be turned and through the pinion 22 the'shaft vI2 has a partial rotation imparted thereto to swing the indicating arrow or pointer I I adjacent tothe scale 9.

With the indicating means and the actuating float as above described, it is essential that readings be taken with the liquid within the body 2 always at a predetermined or fixed level, and to attain and govern this fixed level I provide a vertically movable float portion 23 at the suction sleeve or nipple 4. A valve portion 24 guided-by stem 25 is adapted to close onto valve seat 26, as the level of liquid within the body rises to a sufficient height to move the float portionv 23 upwardly, and thus as the desired liquid level is attained the float portion 23 will close the valve portion 24 upon the seat 26 and in consequence the suction action of the bulb 6 is stopped or cut off so that excess liquid will not be drawn into the body portion 2. If desired, a deflector or baiile 21 can be provided adjacent to the liquid intake to cut down or retard turbulence that might otherwise cause foaming or splashing the liquid, and thus when the valve 24 closes to cut oii the suction drawing liquid intov the body portion the liquid will be at the desired predetermined level and will be presented as a substantially quiet and non-foaming test quantity of liquid in which a reading can be taken by noting the position of the pointer arrow or hand I I uDOn and adjacent to the indicating scale 9.

It will of course be appreciated that the speciiic gravity reading will vary due to `variations in the temperature of the test quantity of liquid, and it may be found desirable to provide a thermometer, or other temperature responsive and indicating means, as illustrated at 28. This thermometer can be conveniently located with its indicating portion on the outside of the body portion I and with a bulb or other temperature responsive portion 28' within the body portion 2 in position to be immersed in the test quantity of liquid and thus responsive to the temperature of this test quantity of liquid or solution.

The scale at 9 can be marked orf to give any desired notations or indications, and where temperature changes are to be taken into account it may be found desirable to designate the divisions of the indicating scale 9 by letters or figures, and to then locate a correction chart on the side of the body 2 adjacent to the indicating portion 28 of the thermometer, as yshown at 29 in Figure l. With the correction table or chart 29 thus positioned it is possible to Ymark or show the indicia thereon in such manner that readings can be taken transversely and horizontally across from the indicating portion of the thermometer 28 and can be checked by reading vertically and a iinal figure representing freezing temperature or any other data. desired to be figured, can be determined by noting the particular indication within the vertical column as indicated by the arrow or pointer II upon the indicating scale 9. With this construction and arrangement it is possible to provide a direct reading indicating and correction chart in the same field of vision with the temperature responsive means and the specific gravity indicating means.

In the disclosure in Figs. 7 through 9, the body portion is substantially the same as above described, and the float 30 has an extending arm 3| directly coupled by connecting rod 32 with an extension arm 33 on the indicating arrow or pointer hand 34, and thus as the float 30 swings around its pivotal mounting at 35 the pointer arrow or indicating hand 34 will be directly and correspondingly swung. To increase or decrease the relative movement the extension arms 3| and 33 can be varied in the proportionate length. I have here shown a spring 36 connected at one end to normally exert resilient force tending to move the pointer arrow or indicating hand 34 in one direction and to resiliently oppose movement of this part 34 as the float 30 swings upwardly due to the rise of liquid in the hydrometer body 31. The opposite end of this spring 36 is connected with an adjusting screw 38, and by manipulation of this adjusting screw 38 it is possible to adjust and vary the pull exerted through spring 36.

As shown in Fig. 10, the float 39 is connected by an arm 40 to the shaft 4I so that the shaft is rocked as its float rises and falls, and arm 42 is swingably mounted on this shaft 4I. A connecting rod 43 extends from the outer end of arm 42 to actuate a pointer or indicating arm or other indicating member or portion. A bimetallic member 44, of volute or other suitable form, can be connected between the shaft 4I and the arm 42, and these parts are located at such elevation that they will be immersed in the liquid as drawn into the hydrometer housing, in consequence of which the arm 42 will be set at different angles with respect to arm 40 of the ioat 39, and thus corrections for variations in temperature of the test quantity of liquid may be automatically accomplished. O-f course, other temperature influenced means may be embodied and employed to compensate for variations in the temperature of the test quantity of liquid.

While I have herein shown and described only certain specific embodiments of my invention and have suggested only certain possible modifications, it will be appreciated that many changes and variations can be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts, and in the manner of employing the same for use, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim: k

l. A hydrometer comprising a casing body having a liquid container portion and provided with a viewing opening at one side above said portion, a liquid intake connection to said casing body opening into the liquid container portion, a float swingably mounted in the vliquid container portion and responsive to a test quantity of liquid at a predetermined level, an indicating scale visible through the viewing opening, an indicating pointer swingably mounted and having an indieating end movable adjacent to the indicating scale, means normally exerting force to swing said indicating pointer to an inoperative position, a mechanical movement connection between the float and the indicating pointer for swinging said pointer over the indicating scale as the height of flotation of the float changes due to variations in the specific gravity of a test quantity of liquid at the predetermined level in the container portion of the body, a suction bulb connected with said casing body at the top thereof in communication with the liquid container portion, and valve means actuated by the test quantity of liquid upon attainment of the desired level of liquid in the container portion closing 01T said suction bulb.

2. A hydrometer comprising a casing body having a liquid container portion and provided with a viewing opening at one side above said portion, a liquid intake connection to said casing body opening into the liquid container portion, a float swingably mounted in the liquid container portion and responsive to a test quantity of liquid at a predetermined level, an indicating scale visible through the viewing opening, an indicating pointer swingably mounted and having an indicating end movable adjacent to the indicating scale, means normally exerting force to swing said indicating pointer to an inoperative position, a mechanical movement connection between the iioat and the indicating pointer for swinging said pointer over the indicating scale as the height of flotation of the float changes due to variations in the specific gravity of a test quantity of liquid at the predetermined level in the container portion of the body, a suction bulb connected with said casing body at the top thereof in communication with the liquid container portion, a suction tube in said suction bulb eX- tending into the liquid container portion of the casing body substantially to the liquid level as desired for a test quantity of liquid, and a float valve carried by said suction tube actuated by the test quantity of liquid upon attainment of the desired liquid level closing the suction end of said tube.

3. A hydrometer comprising a closed casing body having a liquid container portion in the lower part thereof, an indicating casing portion on the upper part of said casing body at one side, a float swingably mounted in the liquid container portion, a rockable shaft, an indicator pointer carried by said rockable shaft with the indicating end visible within the indicating casing portion, indicating scale means within the indicating casing visible adjacent to said indicating end, a connection between the swingable float and the rockable shaft for transmitting motion to move the indicator adjacent to the indicating scale relatively corresponding to the height of flotation of the swingable iloat to thus indicate differences in specific gravity of a liquid solution being tested at a predetermined level within the liquid container portion, a suction tube in the upper part of said casing body having its inner end at the predetermined liquid level within the liquid container portion, a suction bulb connected with the outer end of said suction tube, and iioat actuated valve means carried by -said suction tube operated by the test quantity of liquid within the liquid container portion clos ing the inner end of said suction tube upon attainment of the desired predetermined liquid level therein.

ROSWELL W. BLANCHARD', 

